Circus
by Gulliver Conivette
Summary: After being ambushed by wolves, Tails and Sonic both join Parlington Circus. They will find themselves getting a lot more than they expect. What will this adventure lead to? This story is entirely centred around Tails. Sorry for the lame summary. The story is a lot better. Inspired by Carnival of Hell by Tsuki-shining09.
1. Chapter 1

**Good day to all. This is a story consisting of my most recent ideas.**

**This story is partially inspired by Carnival of Hell by Tsuki-shining09. I assure you all, there are differences between this story and that one.**

**Enjoy the story.**

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In the middle of a forest, a small golden-furred twin-tailed fox sat at underneath a tree, curled up and in tears. It had been too close this time. A pair of wolves – one chocolate brown and white with the name Fergus and a jet black wolf named Dale – had almost mauled him. The small fox's wits were what allowed him to get away.  
"Where are you two-tailed freak?" asked the voice of Fergus in Irish accent. The fox leaped onto his feet and sprinted off into the distance. He then suddenly found a burger stand. His stomach growled with hunger so he pulled out the money bill he had found from his shoe. It was ten Scottish pounds. He walked up to the 'owner' of the stand. It appeared to be an Arctic fox dressed in a business suit.  
"Hello," said the small golden fox in a soft voice.  
"Tails," replied the larger fox in a Scottish accent.  
"How did you...?"  
"Know your nick-name?" interrupted the fox. "I read your mind just now. You were almost mauled, am I right?"  
"Yes," replied Tails. "Do you accept pounds?" He showed the bill.  
"Oh," said the white fox. "You found that on the forest floor. I deliberately left it there and I'm just borrowing this stand. I had a feeling you would be hungry." The fox passed a plate to Tails with two hamburgers on it. "If you can't eat two just hand the other one back." The white fox smiled warmly when Tails took the plate.  
"Thank you," said Tails. He sat down on the ground in a spot nearby and began eating the burgers. It took him about ten minutes to eat them but he managed to finish both of them. "These were well..." Tails felt a mild sting on his arm just before he turned around. "Done. What did you just do?"

The white fox chucked something into a jar and hid it from Tails' view, but not quick enough. Tails spotted what it was – a needle.  
"I doubt you'll remember this," said the fox. "I'm Gulliver Peter Conivette. You've probably heard of me. I'm a fellow who hates the heat and moves around a lot. You are all alone and I'm not going to let it stay that way." Tails was standing up as he said this. He suddenly felt tingly. Gulliver then whistled loudly. A man with a white face and a big red ball on his nose popped into view. He was a clown (literally). Tails went to leave but he suddenly felt dizzy. The clown placed his hands under Tails' arms and lifted him into the air. Nobody had ever lifted him up this way. It was always by grabbing the arms, legs or tails. The clown placed him in a small basket just big enough for him to stretch out in. It had a soft cushion in the bottom along with a pillow. The clown gave tails a gentle pat on the back before Tails fell asleep. He was much later woken up by cool air blowing in his face. Tails opened his eyes to see Gulliver's face just above him.  
"Nice nap?" he asked.  
"That was rude!" snapped Tails. He then looked down. His shoes and socks had been removed. He looked at his hands. The gloves were also gone. "Now this is weird." Tails felt hands lift him up again.  
"Do you know a blue hedgehog named Sonic?" asked the Clown as he lowered Tails into a soft armchair.  
"I was with him on one of his runs," said Tails. "We were having a race. He was waiting for me at the end of the finish lines because I couldn't keep up with him. As I was running up the hill though, I was ambushed by..."  
"Fergus and Dale," said Gulliver and the clown simultaneously.  
"Why did you ask?" asked Tails.  
"He's come over here to see you," replied Gulliver. "Let him in." The clown walked over to the door of what looked like a caravan and opened it. Sonic the hedgehog walked in.

"The two wolves told me that Tails was being eaten by clowns but I'm not dumb enough to believe that," said Sonic. "Tails! Little Bro!" Sonic rushed over to Tails. "Where's your shoes?"  
"He was asleep less than two minutes ago," said Gulliver. "Nobody sleeps with shoes on. That's just crazy."  
"You jabbed a needle into me which knocked me out!" snapped Tails.  
"It's called sedation," corrected Gulliver. "It was so you wouldn't struggle when we brought you in here. I noticed a gash on your side so I fixed it up for you. It may feel a bit sensitive for an hour or so. How's your life been so far?"  
"Annoying," replied Tails. Sonic tensed slightly. "Eggman's non-stop attacking us." Sonic sighed with relief.  
"You were worried he was going to dob on you for something," said Gulliver to Sonic. "He's a true friend to you and wouldn't tell a complete stranger like my self anything you'd done. Back to what I was saying... This friend of mine named David Parlington owns a circus. If you are interested, you can join. Being part of a circus is a lot of fun. I'll be there to run it. David Parlington prefers me to run it than himself. Sonic can be a part of it as well along with any friends you wish to bring along."  
"Sure," said Tails. "It sounds fun." Sonic sat in the empty armchair next to the one Tails sat in.  
"I take it you're in as well," said Gulliver to Sonic. Sonic replied with a nod.  
"Would we be living in the circus though?" asked Sonic. "What if...?"  
"They can head over to the circus to see you before and after shows or join the crowd in watching," said Gulliver answering Sonic's question before he had a chance to finish. "I know you will want to go out for a run. That I cannot stop. Just make sure you are not gone for too long."

"Gulliver is a bit protective as one would say," explained the clown. "I doubt you two would know this but I am David Parlington. We'll need to work out ways to find use of your strengths before we can actually have you go out in front of the crowd. It shouldn't take any more than a few days and an additional day to plan."  
"Gulliver should have gestured to you and we would have known," said Tails.  
"That's a good point but you were not looking directly at him," replied Parlington. "Gulliver did gesture with his head. Are you nervous about making eye contact with him? There's nothing to fear." Tails shuddered.  
"He's giving me weird looks," retorted Tails.  
"That's because you're cute Tails," said Parlington. "Nothing 'll change that and Gulliver won't let anything change that either." Tails blushed a bright scarlet under his fur and put his head down.  
"I think that's enough awkwardness for one day," humoured Gulliver in his smooth Scottish accented voice.  
"I'd better head over and Tell Amy and the others about being here in the circus," said Sonic. Gulliver walked up to him and placed a watch around his wrist.  
"This watch should help you find your way back," explained Gulliver. He pushed the first button along the bottom of it. A massive holographic clock sprung out of it and was "There's your local time, dynamically adjusts depending on time zone and daylight savings." Gulliver pushed the next button (in total, there were five on the bottom). The clock was replaced by a map. "Your map. It's a 4D touch screen. It shows exactly where you are and all buildings and other beings will be shown and colour-coded. The 3rd button only works if you are in the map screen. You touch an area and push it and it will instantly teleport you there." Gulliver pushed the fourth button. It revealed a screen covered in a few graphs and other things. "This is my personal favourite. It monitors all your vital signs and stuff like that. Here you've got your heart rate, pulse (don't ask me how the watch measures all of this), blood level, blood type, all the essentials." Gulliver pushed the 5th button. This one made the watch project a bright light in all directions. "This is a 3D torch. Lights up a long way." Gulliver pushed a button on the side of the watch and all the gadgets that had popped out, switched off and disappeared. The screen on the watch still revealed the time, date and even the temperature.

"Cool," said Sonic. "Tails 'd understand it better though."  
"It's Ok," replied Gulliver. "I got one for him as well." Gulliver slipped an identical watch onto Tails' wrist. "I assume you were watching." Tails nodded. Gulliver sighed in relief. He didn't like repeating himself when he can help it. "One more thing, if you hold hands, you only need one watch to teleport many."  
"Thanks," said Tails. "Where's my stuff?"  
"Shoes and gloves..." said Gulliver. "Do you honestly want to put those stinky things back on?"  
"No, not really," answered Tails.  
"Don't worry about it then," replied Gulliver. What he said next was in a mumble. "Moths ate them up anyway." Tails grabbed hold of Sonic's arm as Sonic pushed the second button, tapped a spot on the map and then pushed the 3rd button. Everything around the two turned into a bunch of flying numbers briefly before they found themselves just outside Amy's garden. She was watering a newly planted patch of daisies. She jumped when she saw the two there.  
"Where did you come from?" asked Amy.  
"A circus, literally," answered Tails.  
"Just came to let everyone know that we're staying there."  
"Are you talking about the Parlington circus?" asked Amy.  
"Yeah," replied Tails and Sonic simultaneously.  
"You'd have to go into that circus to see them," shouted the voice of David Parlington in the distance.  
"What are you doing here?" asked Sonic.  
"Just looking for some food Gulliver can digest. He doesn't eat much meat." Parlington had caught up now.  
"You could just go to the market," said Amy.  
"I was looking at that apple tree over there," said Parlington. "Gulliver says apples are a healthy snack."  
"If he wanted food, why did he send you?" asked Tails.  
"He didn't," said Parlington. "I just went. Gulliver's a bit paranoid and doesn't like the circus being left unattended."

"What's in the circus anyway?" asked Amy, turning back to Sonic.  
"Tails has been around there longer than I have," said Sonic. "I found out he was there shortly after he disappeared."  
"How did he disappear?" asked Amy.  
"I found out the two rogue wolves Dale and Fergus had ambushed him," replied Sonic.  
"And I got a gash in my side in the process but Gulliver fixed it up," added Tails. Amy looked at both Tails' sides and her expression became that of confusion.  
"There's no evidence of there ever being a gash," said Amy. "Not even a scar."  
"Gulliver used almost all his energy healing it with his power," said Parlington. "It left him drained. That's why I decided to go and get some food for him."  
"You can get some apples for him but don't take all of them," said Amy after ten seconds of silence.  
"There's a phone in these watches," said Tails. "There's a few buttons along the top."  
"I just noticed something," said Amy. "What happened to Tails'..."  
"Gloves and Shoes?" interrupted Parlington. "Gulliver took them off him when he was asleep. He talked him out of looking for them when he woke up." He walked over to the apple tree, withdrew a small bag and picked five apples off it. "I'll be off now. Sonic and Tails, Gulliver wants you back at the circus in ten minutes."  
"Well, see ya Amy," said Sonic. Amy wrapped her arms around him, catching him by surprise. Amy eventually pulled away. Tails pushed the second button of his watch and tapped an area somewhere close to the circus where there were two tan coloured spots labelled 'Vanilla' and 'Cream' and a blue spot labelled 'Cheese' was located.

"You beat me to it Tails," said Sonic. Sonic grabbed Tails arm as he pushed the button. Both of them disappeared like 4D screens.  
"What the...?" said Amy in surprise. In a patch of grass, a picnic had been set up. There were benches and tables. There was also a barbecue and a shade cloth spread over most of the area shading everything from the sun. Tails and Sonic appeared just outside of it. At the moment, only Cream and Vanilla seemed to be there, preparing for a barbecue. The clown was headed in this direction.  
"Perfect timing," said Gulliver at the bench. It startled Tails and Sonic because he wasn't there two seconds before. "Curtsey of Vanilla, we get to have a good lunch. Why don't you go back and invite Amy? Knuckles and a few others should be here in a few minutes." Sonic didn't bother with the watch this time, he was about to speed off when Gulliver stopped him. "WAIT, if you are going to run, could you take off from the other side of the barbecue so it doesn't blow away my shade-cloth?" Sonic groaned but obeyed. He then took off in the direction of Amy's house. Amy was stunned when she saw him again.  
"I saw you and Tails disappear right in front of me," said Amy.  
"It was due to a little gadget we were given," said Sonic. "Vanilla and Cream are arranging a picnic. You want to come?"  
"Of course," said Amy. She left her garden.  
"Grab my arm," said Sonic. Amy gave him a confused look. Sonic pushed the 2nd button on his watch and tapped on the same spot in the map Tails had. "Trust me." Amy grabbed his arm. Sonic pushed the 3rd button and the two were instantly moved to outside the shade-cloth.  
"You say your watch did that?" asked Amy.  
"It's a holographic digitaliser in the form of a watch," said Gulliver. "I don't know who invented those things but it was pretty clever. I use the phone function all the time."  
"It's a lot more convenient to use though," said Tails.  
"But it's always wise to eat something after using it because it uses your energy to function," explained Gulliver. "OK, who's ready for some fun." He waved his hand at an empty patch of grass and a fold-up table appeared there with a stereo on it. "Don't strain yourself looking for a logical explanation, Tails. I teleported it from my caravan." The stereo then began play Macarena by Los Del Rios. Gulliver was the first to get up and start dancing to it. Soon, everyone danced to it while they waited for some burgers to cook on the barbecue.

As the song finished, Knuckles (a red echidna) turned up.  
"What are you doing?" he asked. "Do you seriously need to dance like a bunch of idiots?"  
"We were just having a bit of fun," said Gulliver. "You took your time though. There's still a few missing. Anyone know if Jathas is coming?! Oh I forgot."  
"Nobody knows who Jathas is," said David Parlington. The clown pulled out three red shiny rubber balls and began juggling them.  
"Who is Jathas?" asked Tails.  
"Another wolf puppy," replied Gulliver. "He's Dale and Fergus' younger brother but unlike them, he has a kind heart. He is also the runt of he litter. His family hates him so I separated him from them. I loathe most of the Kendall family.  
"Are my brothers gone yet?" said a soft voice in from behind a tree in Irish accent.  
"I haven't seen them once today," said Gulliver. "You can come out." A wolf pup revealed himself. He was the same height Tails was and had greyish fur. He had a deep scratch on his face. "Again! David, could you pass me my lollipop?" the clown walked up to the table and Gulliver picked a green lollipop out of his pocket. He took the wrapping off and put it straight in his mouth. "Come here." Jathas walked up to him. Gulliver put his hand up to Jathas' face. The scratch marks then slowly dissolved away. Soon, it looked as though they were never there.  
"What's the lollipop for?" asked Tails.  
"This one is high in glucose or sugar," replied Gulliver. "It is what gives me the power to heal everyone. In fact, this barbecue is a thank-you present from Vanilla. The injury Cream got on her that I healed doesn't bear thinking about. Ugh!" Gulliver shuddered. "I did of course eat one of those apples but there's not enough natural sugar in them. The best natural source is lemons. I really hate lemons but I will eat them if I have to."

"Martemus taught me how to eat chilli without my mouth burning," said Jathas.  
"The weasel?" asked Gulliver. "I'm not surprised. When you get over the spice, they're rather delicious."  
"I've never had chilli," said Tails.  
"It's basically a spicy capsicum," explained Gulliver. "OK, bring on the burgers."  
"How did you know they were ready?" asked Vanilla. "You weren't looking." Gulliver didn't answer but rather turned off the stereo. Vanilla placed two plates of burgers on the table. One was in front of Tails, the other, Gulliver.  
"I eat burgers but I hate steak," said Gulliver. "Thanks Vanilla." Vanilla came back with two more and placed one in front of Cream. The next one went to Sonic. The next two went to Knuckles and Jathas. The clown stopped Juggling balls and sat down. Two of the last three plates went to Amy and then Parlington the clown. Vanilla kept the last one for herself as she sat down.  
"The magic number this time is nine," said Gulliver with a mouth full of food.  
"Don't talk with your mouth full," said Vanilla and Parlington simultaneously. They all ate in silence for about twenty minutes before Gulliver stood up. He collected the empty plates and stacked them. He carried them all over to the bench that had been placed next to the barbecue.  
"Thanks for the aussie lunch," said Gulliver.  
"It was the least I could do," said Vanilla.  
"What happened anyway?" asked Tails.  
"Are you sure you want to know?" asked Gulliver as they all began walking away from the bench. "It's pretty gross." Tails nodded. "I'll deal with Jathas first. I'll be right back." Gulliver walked over to Jathas who remained with Vanilla.

"Would you like me to send Martemus to come to you instead of you going into the forest to find him?" asked Gulliver.  
"Yes please," answered Jathas.  
"OK," said Gulliver. "Ms Vanilla, could you do me a favour and look after Jathas here until Martemus Par arrives?"  
"Sure," replied Vanilla. "We're just about to pack everything up so make sure Martemus goes to the house."  
"OK," said Gulliver. "Bye." The two waved each other goodbye and Gulliver re-joined Tails and Sonic. Amy was still following behind but Knuckles had since disappeared into the distance. Gulliver lead the group to Amy's garden for this exact reason. Once outside the garden, he turned to face her. "We'll be seeing you. If you wish to see your friends, you're welcome to just go straight up to the circus. If it's really early in the morning before eight o'clock or after six thirty, you can easily talk with them face-to-face. In between those times, you will need to buy a ticket and go in with the rest of the crowd to watch the show."  
"What about becoming part of it?" asked Amy.  
"Oh yeah," said Gulliver. "If you're interested, just come and see me about it. Bye." He turned and began walking off. He stopped ten metres away and waited for the other two. David Parlington had already gone back to the circus (which was only a few trees away from the place they had the barbecue site. The whole lot had already been packed up. Vanilla and Cream were nowhere in site now. Jathas had gone with them.  
"I wonder what we're going to be doing?" asked Tails.  
"That my friend," replied Gulliver, "is up to you. You can make it funny as well. We work to your strengths. Funny acts will make people keep coming back for more and that's good for business."

Eventually, they arrived back at the caravan. Tails sat down in the basket he had woken up in.  
"Do you like sleeping in that?" asked Gulliver.  
"It is comfortable," replied Tails.  
"Well, bedding for you is sorted," said Gulliver. "Now for Sonic..." Sonic sat in the armchair and noticed a lever on the side. He pulled on it and a footrest kicked up. The armchair also leaned back.  
"This armchair is comfy," said Sonic.  
"If you want to sleep in an armchair, that's fine with me," said Gulliver. "This caravan is divided so you two sleep in here and I have the back room to sleep in. Same for Parlington. Now, since there's nothing to do today, it's just getting you two some entertainment... I'm drawing a blank. If you need anything, knock on the door or head into the tent over there." Gulliver pointed out the front door to an orange, Purple and white tent. There were only four caravans and a big truck surrounding it. Gulliver walked over to the back of the caravan where there was a door. He opened it and walked in. He closed the door behind him.  
"I'm going for a run," said Sonic, standing up.  
"Just make sure, if you take Tails with you, try not to stop for too long and be home before six thirty," said Gulliver through the closed door. The door opened again. "Tails, I wouldn't feel right you going out on your own so you can either go with Sonic or stay really close to this caravan. If you stay, don't go outside the boundaries of caravans because Dale and Fergus could be anywhere. Luckily, they're not capable of getting in here."  
"I just feel like sleeping at the moment," said Tails as he lied down in the basket.  
"Suit yourself," said Sonic before leaving the caravan. He walked a distance before speeding off, jumping over the other caravans in the process.  
"If you need anything, you know where to go," said Gulliver before closing the door again. Tails wrapped his tails around himself and closed his eyes, falling asleep quickly.

Nearby, Dr Ivo Robotnik (who Tails referred to as Eggman) sat underneath a tree and read a newspaper with the two robots Decoe and Bocoe on either side. Robotnik was a fat man with an egg-shaped head. He chuckled at the newspaper captioned as 'Daily Spikes'  
"What's so funny Doctor?" asked Decoe.  
"Listen to this," said Dr Robotnik. He read out the article.

**_Sonic and Miles Prower (AKA Tails) joins Parlington Circus_**  
_A recent interview with Scottish Fox Gulliver P. Conivette confirms that the blue blur and kitsune sidekick have decided to leave behind their old life and join the famous Parlington Circus. David Parlington was also there._  
_"It could be the beginning of something great," Gulliver said to the interviewer. "But what they will be doing is none of anybody's business. Just wait and see."_  
_"What inspired them to take interest in the circus?" the interviewer asks Gulliver._  
_"That is something that's beyond me. I just offered the job to them. I will say no more."_  
_"Could you explain this picture?" the interviewer asks and then shows a picture to Gulliver (you can find it on the bottom of the page). Gulliver then without replying, pushed the interviewer and cameraman out the door, saying "GET OUT!". How will Sonic and Tails go with this insane psychopath as ringleader?_

Dr Robotnik cracked up laughing.  
"What are you laughing at?" asked the voice of a wolf. Dale and Fergus showed up.  
"Here," said Robotnik to Dale and tossed him the newspaper. The two wolves snickered.  
"The media is already harassing them," said Fergus. "We were just about to go looking for them two. We still owe Two-tail a bite in the neck. The blue freak of nature is not much better."  
"You're out to get him as well?" asked Robotnik.  
"Yes," replied Dale. "We know what you're leading up to. You're about to ask us to join up with you. If it means we both get what we want then why not?"

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**Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. It took me a few days to write it. The next chapter may take a while so stay tuned. Please review.**

**This chapter just introduces the early plot. The real action doesn't start until later. Some people would be left wondering 'when's Gulliver going to say what happened to Cream?' He may or may not say. If you have any ideas for what could have happened to Cream, post them in the review or PM me.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter's up. :D Please read and review. Enjoy.**

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In the caravan Tails finally stirred in the basket. Sonic walked in the door almost simultaneously.  
"Were you asleep the whole time?" asked Sonic. He checked the time on his digitaliser. "It's now seven in the evening and the sun's almost completely down."  
"Yeah," answered Tails. "To tell you the truth, I haven't slept in a week."  
"That's not healthy," said Gulliver, who walked out of the back room. He sat down in one of the armchairs. "Well, you had all of today to catch up on your sleep. Admittedly, hamburgers are a weird thing to have for breakfast."  
"I would have had breakfast after the race," replied Tails.  
"I smell eggs," said Gulliver. Sonic and Tails somehow knew what he meant (no, not egg fart, egg-man). The three of them walked outside the caravan.  
"ROBOTNIK!" snapped Gulliver. "You're under the baker's caravan." Robotnik groaned and climbed out from underneath it. "How you got under it is beyond me."  
"It's over a hole in the ground," replied Robotnik.  
"Don't even think about bringing Dale and Fergus in here. The shield would send them floating away anyway."  
"How did you..." Robotnik trailed off.  
"You are predictable," said Gulliver.  
"You seemed to read my mind," said Robotnik. Gulliver nodded once before urging Tails and Sonic into the tent.  
"Well, you were using a forged newspaper article as a reference of what was going on," replied Gulliver, baring his teeth in anger. "That's right, that interview mentioned in the Daily Spikes was made up. Somebody used a combination of sneaking photos from bushes and doctoring to get the shots and made up a story to go with it. Although, they got the start of the interview right despite it being fake."

"How can you make an interview that doesn't exist?" asked Tails. "It's dated as two hours ago yet you were..."  
"Having a good sleep in my bed of course," finished Gulliver. "There's evidence that the photos are not current." Gulliver grabbed the copy of the newspaper from Tails and opened his door for Robotnik to see. "The caravan is completely different, my fur is shorter, the poster there doesn't exist. It's doctored." I'd like to know who made that image. The one at the bottom here is not a photo but rather an artists drawing. See the blurs? Somebody has gotten into the memoirs book. If you find out who, call me and then dump them right in front of me." Gulliver closed the caravan door and locked it. "And no false accusations either. If you don't know, don't throw them." Gulliver walked into the tent.  
"You had almost a minute to get those two," said Fergus from a distance. Robotnik squeezed back through the hole and came out the other side. Once out, Dale leapt into the air easily higher than the roofs of the caravans. Just as he was about to go over however, he bounced off an invisible forcefield.  
"You weren't listening were you?" asked Robotnik. "You two can't get in. I can get in though. Lets go back to base." In the tent, Gulliver had just brought out two bowls of spaghetti bolognaise. He placed them down in front of Tails and Sonic. They were seated at a circular table placed in the middle of the stage (which took up two thirds of the tent). Gulliver walked away and came back with two more a minute later. He placed one in front of David Parlington and kept the last one for himself. They ate dinner in complete silence. Just outside the boundary however, Robotnik and the two wolves were now walking away. They spotted a group of five run out of the forest. There was Jathas, Cream, Vanilla, Amy and a weasel. There was also Cheese the Chao. Jathas held them all close to himself and then moved an arm between two of the caravans. They were all carried over them instantly.  
"How the hell...?" said Fergus. "Now I'm really mad!" He and Dale tried squeezing into the hole. They were able to make it but they then lifted up into the air before being thrown out. They tried again but this time, sprinted towards the tent. They actually made it this time and the weightless feeling that they felt as they ran dropped immediately.  
"Fergus and Dale are in!" exclaimed Tails. The group had already finished their dinner.  
"I don't want to barf this up chasing those two out!" groaned Parlington.

"Tails!" shouted Amy's voice from outside. "Sonic!" She peeked in. She had to duck because Fergus had started running towards her at top speed. As he left the door though he lifted upwards and was thrown out for the second time.  
"Lure them outside!" exclaimed Gulliver as he made repeated attempts of pushing Dale away from Tails and Sonic. Tails spun his Tails and grabbed Sonic's arms. He flew up into the air right near the top of the tent. "That only keeps you safe for as long as Tails has energy! I hope you know that!"  
"Hey black jack!" shouted Amy.  
"Not falling for it!" retorted Dale. Cream popped into view. "Ooh, rabbit meat. Yum." A menacing grin appeared on Dale's face. Cream began trembling with fear went to run for it but Amy Grabbed her arm. Dale began sprinting towards cream.  
"Wait for it," she said. "Wait for it..." Dale had almost reached the entrance when she said "NOW". The two of them leapt to the side and watched as Dale was sent flying through the air and thrown out of the boundary.  
"Remind me to fill that hole in the ground in," said Gulliver. "Tails and Sonic, you can come down now. You're safe." The two landed neatly on the ground. Tails landed slowly because he had no shoes on.  
"What if they come back?" asked Tails.  
"They never make the same mistake twice most of the time," said Gulliver. "If they're in league with Robotnik, then we've got a little problem."  
"Why?" asked Sonic, Tails and Amy simultaneously.  
"What if Robotnik makes a device that countermeasures the forcefield?" whispered Gulliver.  
"Why are you whispering," asked Vanilla.  
"He could be listening," replied Gulliver. "I made the same mistake of saying things out loud that help the enemy when they've been listening over ten times and I've leant to stop."

The group walked back to the caravan.  
"May I ask what you five – or six if I include Cheese – are doing over here?" asked Gulliver.  
"We came to see Sonic and Tails off," said Cream.  
"D'oh," grunted Tails. "We forgot to tell them at the barbecue."  
"You forgot to tell us what happened to cream," said Sonic to Gulliver.  
"I don't intend on telling anyone because I vomit every time," Gulliver replied coolly. "Well, this circus is still going to be here for two more days. Feel free to visit during that time."  
"That means we're early," said Vanilla. "Good night." The others all said goodnight to each other and Gulliver guided them all out of the boundary.  
"Just don't open any windows or doors while at home," said Gulliver.  
"We haven't since you saved Cream," said Vanilla. They finally left.  
"They let us stay the night," said Jathas as he went with them. Amy remained though.  
"I was the one who had to tell them!" she exclaimed before grabbing Sonic. Gulliver instantly reacted and pushed them far apart from each other. "HEY!"  
"I am not in the mood to watch another couple fight it out," said Gulliver. "I think you should get hold of yourself. You were about to strangle Sonic." Amy went silent with shock. _How did he know that?_ This mental question was answered almost right away. "I can read minds and predict what is about to happen." Amy turned to leave but Gulliver stopped her.

"What are you...?" Gulliver shushed her and they listened.  
"Hey!" Knuckles' voice echoed over the horizon. "What are you doing?! GET LOST!" There was also the sound of barking and growling."  
"Knuckles!" they all shouted simultaneously. "Everyone hold hands!" Gulliver tapped a few things on his digitaliser and then grabbed their arms. They were instantly moved to a spot in the grass where they found Knuckles trying to fight Fergus and Dale. The two rogue wolves were persistent and kept trying to bite his neck.  
"Tails, you take everyone back," said Gulliver in a soft voice. "I'll save knuckles from this situation," Tails obeyed and the lot of them vanished. Gulliver jumped up and turned into a blue cloud of smoke. It was sent through knuckles, startling him. He was turned into smoke as well. Back in the boundary, Sonic tapped his foot on the ground impatiently waiting. He then saw a blue smoke puff fly in from the sky and then reform into Knuckles and Gulliver. Knuckles was in the last position he was in when he was turned into smoke – trying to punch the smoke. This resulted in him nearly punching Gulliver.  
"Oh it was you doing the smoke," said Knuckles, grumpily. "I had them."  
"If you were to hit them, they would run off, hide in a bush, wait 'till you're asleep and then eat you," said Gulliver. "You may have stood a chance at the moment but I knew better."

"Great," grumbled the cranky echidna. "Someone like Rouge could take the master emerald."  
"And get eaten by those wolves?" said Gulliver. "Nobody would be game. Rouge was just trying to sleep in the cave and Dale nearly bit her head off."  
"Is that what happened to Cream?" asked Amy.  
"Yeah, tell us!" said everyone else simultaneously. "Would you like me to get some bags in case you vomit?"  
"I think we'll be right," said Knuckles. Gulliver led them inside the caravan before sitting in an armchair. There were a pile of paper bags on the table nearby.  
"Basically, Dale and Fergus tried to eat her alive," said Gulliver before gulping. "Please don't make me describe the injuries she got."  
"You couldn't tell us that earlier?" asked Amy.  
"Vanilla would have fainted," said Gulliver. "I almost fainted myself."  
"Who knew that two wolf puppies could cause so much damage," said Sonic.  
"OK, who's sleeping where?" asked Gulliver.  
"Sonic likes to sleep on the roof," said Amy.  
"I'm not picky," stated Sonic.  
"What's with the basket?" asked Amy.  
"Tails finds it comfortable to sleep in that," said Gulliver. "I'll leave the sleeping place choices up to you. Good night." Gulliver opened the door of the back room, walked in and closed it behind him. Sonic walked outside and climbed onto the roof. Tails curled up in the basket. Amy couldn't help but smile. Knuckles sat down in one of the armchairs and pulled the lever. The footrest sprung out. Amy sat in the other armchair and did the same thing. Soon, most were asleep. David Parlington walked in after a few minutes and opened the door to the back room. He also closed the door behind him.

In the morning, Tails was slow to open his eyes. Gulliver was sitting in the armchair Knuckles had been sitting in previously. Knuckles was outside. The footrest was back in. Gulliver was reading a newspaper captioned 'News of the Universe'.  
"What's happened in that?" asked Tails softly. Amy was still asleep and by the sounds of snoring above, so was Sonic.  
"Robotnik has been seen having a temper tantrum," replied Gulliver, giggling slightly. "Probably because Fergus and Dale just kept running around instead of going into his base. It took him hours to get them in there." Tails and Gulliver both cracked up laughing, waking up Amy.  
"Hey!" snapped Amy. "What's the big idea?"  
"Newspaper article," said Gulliver quickly. "Tails, you slept like a rock."  
"I slept like a log," humoured Sonic from above.  
"And I slept like an egg," said Knuckles. Everyone cracked up laughing now.  
"I think you missed the basic point," said Gulliver after the laughing ceased. "Sleeping like a rock is to sleep without being woken up once."  
"It would explain why I woke up without being tired," said Tails.  
"You slept for exactly twelve hours," explained Gulliver. "You went to sleep at 8:15, I went to sleep at half past. I only sleep about six hours."  
"So you got up at two in the morning?" asked Tails. "You don't make any noise."  
"I never usually do in the mornings," stated Gulliver. "The tent and these caravans will be packed up today because we leave first thing in the morning tomorrow."  
"It's going to be a busy one," said Tails.  
"I didn't say you and your friends had to do anything," said Gulliver. "Why don't you all just go have fun out somewhere. Stick together though." Tails stood up and stretched his legs out. Amy got up at the same time.  
"Where's his shoes?" asked Amy.  
"Moths ate them," replied Gulliver. "They did it while I was just resting my eyes yesterday." Tails froze on the spot for a few seconds but then shrugged it off.  
"And Tails doesn't seem to care," said Amy. "Why though?" Gulliver pretended not to hear that. Tails had already walked out.  
"Gulliver wants us all to stick together," said Tails.

"Lets get the Blue Typhoon," said Sonic. "If we're moving, we're not leaving that behind."  
"I don't think you need to bring an entire city with you," called out Gulliver. "I saw it hidden underground. If absolutely necessary, you may bring it. I just hope the controls aren't sharp edged if Tails wants to fly it."  
"I don't want to fly that thing," said Tails. He then spotted movement in the trees. Tails flew on top of the caravan closest to it. "Whoever you are, show yourself!" Nobody moved out from behind the tree. Tails shrugged it off and jumped onto the ground, followed by the others. "Ah! I really need to remember not to jump like this." Tails walked towards the tree and saw more movement. He moved over and spotted Fergus, Dale and Dr Robotnik all hiding behind trees. Sonic and Knuckles kept their eyes on them in case the wolves pounced. Once they were on the other side of the forest, they sprinted out into the vast area of grass. They then noticed a chaos emerald sitting there on the ground.  
"A tactic is to pretend not to notice it," said a voice behind them. Gulliver walked out and picked the emerald up. This one was purple. "I assume there's about seven of these."  
"What would you need a chaos emerald for?" asked Sonic.  
"Just in case," replied Gulliver. Robotnik then walked up to them. "You don't scare me!" Robotnik then dug into his pocket for something.  
"This will," replied Robotnik. He withdrew a taser from his pocket. He pulled the trigger on it and Gulliver caught the wires that came shooting out. Despite a high level of electricity going through his body, Gulliver seemed unfazed. Robotnik dropped the taser in disbelief.  
"I told you, you don't scare me," said Gulliver. "I just sent the electricity into the ground. Stupid man."  
"Get him," Robotnik muttered to the wolves. Fergus and Dale leapt towards Gulliver.  
"How predictable," said Gulliver. He raised his hands up at the wolves and they were moved into the air. Gulliver made them go further back and then dropped them.  
"We could have told you he was going to do that," said Fergus.

"You were gullible enough to obey," retorted Gulliver. "Who's dumb now?" This silenced both wolves and Robotnik. Sonic's mouth dropped in surprise.  
"You are a guy with attitude," said Sonic.  
"Well, that happens," replied Gulliver. He walked onwards. Tails, Sonic, Knuckles and Amy continued on until they got to Cream and Vanilla's house.  
"We could have used the watch," said Tails. "It's much quicker."  
"I think I prefer running," replied Sonic. "The watch does have a few cool gadgets though."  
"Like a phone," said Gulliver from nearby. "And a map. It's a digitaliser in the shape of a watch. Knuckles and Amy, would you two like one? Just ask Tails if you don't know how to use it."  
"Never know when those could come in handy," said Amy. Gulliver slipped a digitaliser around her wrist. He then gave Knuckles one before walking off. Tails pressed the phone button on the top and a list of names popped up on a holographic screen. Tails pushed it again and it disappeared.  
"Sonic and I will go in, could you two make sure the two wolves don't show up?" said Tails. "If Eggman shows up, call us using the top left button" Sonic and Tails knocked on the door. They noticed bars on the outside of the windows. After a few seconds, there were a few click sounds and the front door opened."  
"Are those two coming in?" asked Vanilla.  
"They're guarding the house," replied Sonic. Vanilla let Tails and Sonic in before closing the door. There were two locks and a metal plank that went over the door. "What's all that for?"  
"Keeps out Fergus and Dale," said Vanilla. "They know how to pick locks so Gulliver put in these two extra ones and put bars on the windows to stop them breaking their way in. It feels like a prison at times."  
"Well, we're not going to be here much longer because Gulliver is moving the circus," said Tails.  
"Eggman will move in on the attack when you're gone," said Vanilla.

"Hang on, I have an idea," said Tails. He pushed the button on the top of the watch. The list of names popped up. Tails tapped on the one labelled 'Gulliver P. Conivette'. The screen vanished for a moment and then a screen showing Gulliver's face popped up.  
"Yes?" he said.  
"Do you have any more of those watches?" asked Tails  
"Sorry," replied Gulliver, "I'm all out. Look in the list for Digits Inc." The name popped up as he said it. It was labelled as 'Dijuits Inc.'  
"It's just popped up," said Tails.  
"OK, call them. Bye." Gulliver's face was replaced by translucent black. Tails tapped the company name and the text on screen showed 'calling: audio scripts at Dijuits HQ'  
"Joe Hatter from Dijuits ink speaking," said the croaky voice on the other end. What he said was displayed on screen. "What will you be ordering today?"  
"Just placing an order for two digitalisers," said Tails.  
"Hello there," replied Joe. Tails shuddered. "Are you after the Dijuits Quad digitaliser with four functions?"  
"I'm after the one with over five functions including a phone," replied Tails. "The model that Gulliver got."  
"Oh," replied Joe. "Dijuits Octofunction Digitaliser. Is that your model?" Tails looked above the screen and saw it was labelled Octofunction BL215  
"It is an Octofunction BL215," said Tails.  
"That model is slightly outdated," said Joe. "The successor BL300 came out yesterday. Where are we sending it?"  
"Look for the house with barred windows and a huge fish pond in the front yard."  
"OK, I'm in the area now so I'll see you in a few minutes."  
"Thank you," said Tails. "Bye." He hung up the phone by twitching his wrist. Tails went to the window and looked out. An elderly man sitting in a mobility scooter. He turned onto the footpath. He stopped, grabbed a walking stick and dug into the basket for two small boxes and a stamp. Vanilla opened the door and let the elderly man in. He had almost no hair except for a moustache and a beard along with a ring of hair around the back of his head. All hair was white.

"These watches come to a total of one hundred and eighty-six dollars," said Joe.  
"I'm not surprised," replied Tails. "Damn it, I forgot to ask Gulliver for money to get these things."  
"Well really, Gulliver said they were cheap," said Joe. "He expected just one of them to cost over ten thousand. He spent a total of five hundred and forty dollars. He bought last years model. They were 3 dollars cheaper than these. Ninety-three dollars each is a small price to pay for a gadget that can do much. The Quad is only fifty dollars." Vanilla pulled out two one-hundred-dollar bills from her pocket. "That's thirty-three dollars seventy change."  
"What?" asked Vanilla. "Would you like a calculator?" Joe pulled out a suitcase and opened it up. He counted up the US dollars.  
"The currency I usually take is Australian Dollars," said Joe. "I have a calculator in my brain, literally. I had to convert the different dollar values. This leaves you with more change."  
"Gulliver's used to..." began Tails but Joe finished for him.  
"Accepting Scottish pounds. That's what he paid me with. Really annoying. He paid two-hundred and ninety four pounds eighty." He handed the change to Vanilla and then opened the boxes. He pulled a plastic strip off of each and then put them around Vanilla and Cream's wrists.  
"It's identical to the last model," said Tails. He looked and spotted an extra button on the side.  
"The extra button is the same as holding the phone button down for five seconds," said Joe. "It brings up a built in calculator. There's also a mathematics converter if you hold it for ten seconds and tap it in the menu that pops up. This new button, you just double-press it. The one that Gulliver doesn't know about is a built in tracker system that can be set up by syncing the digitalisers together." Joe passed them a small book labelled 'Dijuitec (Dijuits) Octofunction BL300 digitaliser user manual'. "There's a button on the bottom that you can press should you want to take off the digitaliser. Well, see you all." Vanilla unlocked the door and let the man out. Once he was gone, Vanilla turned to Tails.  
"It will allow us to call each other." said Tails. "We can also go from one place to another using these."

"Just hope Eggman doesn't get the idea to get one as well," said Vanilla. Suddenly, a screen popped up interrupting their conversation. Knuckles' face was shown on the screen.  
"Tails and sonic, Egghead's coming." said Knuckles.  
"Don't let him get any of those digitalisers!" exclaimed Tails. "If he gets one, no one will ever be able to catch him unless he takes it off."  
"Thanks for the tip," said Robotnik's voice in the background. He cackled evilly before he was seen in the egg-pod chasing after Joe. They watched as the egg-pod stopped in front of him.  
"Can I help you?" asked Joe.  
"What are those digitalisers I've heard about?" asked Robotnik.  
"They're devices that can do heaps of things at once. The Quad's only fifty dollars each," He stood up and picked a box out of the basket. Eggman pulled a fifty dollar note out of his pocket." Joe took it and swapped it for six dollars and five cents.  
"I thought you said fifty," said Robotnik, taking the change.  
"Australian Dollars," replied Joe. He passed the box to Robotnik and a manual for it. "Ciao." Joe continued on his way. Tails and Sonic had just gotten outside to see Robotnik with it. Robotnik opened it and looked inside.  
"A watch?" said Robotnik. He opened the first page of the manual and then flicked through it. He found the page headed 'Setting up your digitaliser'. "So you take the tape off the bottom and then put it straight on." Robotnik did exactly that and then flicked through more of the pages. The page he stopped at was 'functions'. Eggman chuckled when he read the page.  
"EGGMAN!" snapped Tails. Robotnik pushed the buttons one by one, bypassing the 3rd button. It had the clock, map, teleporter and phone built in.  
"This one's got the basics," said Robotnik. "Should have kept your mouth shut Tails." he cackled like a clown before pushing the second button, tapping a spot on the map and then the 3rd. The egg-pod, Robotnik and the two wolves sitting in it disappeared. Sonic and Tails' mouths dropped in shock.

* * *

**Ooh! Robotnik has one of those digitalisers. What is Gulliver going to say when he finds out that it was Tails' mouth that resulted in this happening? How will he react? Please review. The next chapter should be up soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 is up! It took a bit longer. I'm doing the story with each chapter being 4K+ words each (K = 1000). Enjoy.**

* * *

Back in the caravan as the sun set, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy found Gulliver pacing back and forth restlessly.  
"We have something to tell you," said Tails nervously.  
"You don't need to say it," stated Gulliver. "You said not to let Robotnik run up to Joe and ask him for a digitaliser but in doing so, you made him go get one. He hadn't even heard of a digitaliser until you said something." Tails gulped. "I'm not mad, just disappointed."  
"Did you read his mind again?" asked Sonic.  
"No," replied Gulliver. He then pushed and held one of the buttons on his own digitaliser. He tapped the extra function and then walked up to them. "My order for these digitalisers was a specially made one. I already synced them together and the one I have is known as the parent digitaliser. It allows me to find out exactly what you are doing when I'm not around. I had to do something."  
"You listened to our conversations," said Knuckles. "Rude!"  
"I ignore most of them except whenever it seemed you were in trouble."  
"Why were you after chaos emeralds?" asked Sonic.  
"That's what I'd like to know myself," said Robotnik from his Egg-pod. Fergus and Dale were still in the back. He had just appeared outside the open door.  
"You disgust me," said Gulliver bluntly. Just after he said it, Fergus and Dale lifted out of the egg-pod and were thrown out of the boundary for the third time.  
"EGGMAN!" shouted Dale. "One more time you be inconsiderate like that, you'd better watch out."  
"Those wolves have joined up with villains before but wind up eating them," said Gulliver. "Just like Cream was almost eaten by them. Do not trust them no matter what."  
"Why don't you lot just try to get me when I stick around?" asked Robotnik.  
"Because we have had enough of it," replied Sonic. "It's fun the first few hundred times but there are better things to do now."  
"Yes," said Gulliver. "Even you could have fun while in everyone's good books and not doing anything sneaky. Even you could become part of the circus and gain respect and more."  
"Did you have to suggest that?" asked Sonic angrily.

"Everyone has the same problems with others because of differences," stated Gulliver. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "No one likes a war Robotnik."  
"Why do you call him Robotnik when we refer to him as Eggman?" asked Amy.  
"Because Ivo Robotnik is his real name," replied Gulliver. "It even says it on the map. The figures with these digitalisers synced will appear on the map as highlighted and outlined rather than just a dot and name. Oh there I go again about the digitalisers. Just don't abuse them. They're designed for convenience, not crime."  
"I'm sure you'd be a lot safer on our side than going against us," said Parlington from nearby. He wasn't dressed like a clown any more. "Gulliver, it's time to couple the caravans."  
"OK," replied Gulliver. "I'll be back in a moment." Gulliver walked out. The tent had already been packed up. Gulliver got in a massive truck parked behind where the tent was. It had been hidden in a bunch of bushes. The truck was moved forward and then turned around. Gulliver joint the truck up to the first 'caravan'. It had no windows so It was actually a storage van. Gulliver didn't have to do the others because they were already connected to each other.  
"Why not leave the caravans attached to that truck?" asked Robotnik.  
"I hide it to stop people stealing my stuff," replied Gulliver. "This truck would create temptation. For now, I'll put an electric barrier around it to keep everyone off it until morning. I've got a large lasagne in the oven." Gulliver did a few hand gestures and a blue mist covered the truck. Robotnik hopped out of his egg pod and pushed it towards the truck. The blue mist engulfed it. "I take it you know that's not allowed inside the vans? Fair enough to put it there." Parlington had set up two sets of tables and chairs.

"Where are you taking the circus?" asked Robotnik as Gulliver walked out carrying two plates of lasagne. Everyone's mouths dropped when they saw five additional plates of lasagne floating behind him. "What the...?"  
"Telekinesis," said Gulliver bluntly. "A convenient power to have."  
"What kind of fox are you?" asked Robotnik. The plates of lasagne went in front of everyone.  
"A supernatural anthropomorphic Arctic fox," answered Gulliver with food in his mouth again.  
"Don't talk with your mouth full!" said Robotnik, Parlington and Amy simultaneously.  
"Sorry," said Gulliver after swallowing his food.  
"You have no manners," said Robotnik.  
"You're one to talk Eggman," retorted Sonic bluntly.  
"Please don't butt in," said Gulliver. "He was talking to me." This got him frowns off both Sonic and Amy.  
"Lets talk about something else before these two explode," said Parlington softly. Tails happened to be the first who got his lasagne and he was used to eating quickly. He was finished right away. He got up and went inside Gulliver's caravan.  
"He's probably going to be asleep in the basket by the time I get in there," said Gulliver. "Ever since I put him in there when we first met, he's slept in there." Soon the rest of them finished the lasagne.  
"Is Italian food a regular thing?" asked Amy. "Last night I saw you all having spaghetti."  
"I had to get it eaten," said Gulliver. "Joe Hatter is Italian and he gave me a weeks worth of Italian food. It is delicious though."  
"What's next?" asked Robotnik. A loud clap of thunder sounded.  
"A thunderstorm," said Gulliver. "It happens every time I eat outside with no shelter."

Gulliver and Parlington packed up the plates and packed the tables and chairs into the storage van. Once done, Gulliver turned to Robotnik.  
"If you plan on joining the circus, you may have to make yourself a caravan because they're all taken," said Gulliver. "Well, if that's the case, I'll see you here at seven tomorrow morning." Gulliver walked over to the truck and dragged out the Egg-pod.  
"I thought you said there was an electric barrier there," said Robotnik, surprised.  
"I've had over a thousand watts of electricity passed through my body and I didn't even feel it," replied Gulliver casually. Robotnik hopped into the egg-pod and disappeared. Gulliver hurried inside his caravan straight afterwards. Once everyone had gotten inside, it began pouring rain. Gulliver shut the door. "OK, Sonic, sleeping on the roof is out of the question." Gulliver looked around and noticed a two-seated lounge opposite the armchairs. It was right next to the basket. Tails was already sleeping like a baby in his basket.  
"He doesn't seem to have trouble sleeping," said Sonic softly. He lied down in the lounge next to Tails. The lounge had a table near it. Gulliver opened the fridge and got out a bottle of apple juice.  
"Anyone want a drink?" asked Gulliver.  
"Yeah alright," said Sonic. "Hey Tails." Sonic gently Tapped on Tails' back. He sat up right away and looked Sonic in the eye with a neutral expression on his face. "You thirsty?"  
"Yeah," replied Tails. Sonic sat up and Tails sat next to him on the lounge. Gulliver placed a glass of juice in front of both of them. They took it and drank it down right away. Knuckles and Amy had one as well. Gulliver put the juice back and grabbed out two different bottles. He kept them hidden and took them into the back room. Parlington went in there as well, shutting the door behind him. Tails had managed to see the label of one of the bottles.  
"Cider and Pineapple?" said Tails.  
"It's got alcohol in it," said Sonic. "I'm glad he doesn't want us having that. It burns your throat." Tails got back into his basket and drifted back to sleep. Sonic lied down straight afterwards. Amy and Knuckles put out the footrests and went straight to sleep in the armchairs.

BANG! Everyone snapped awake simultaneously.  
"Stupid lightning!" groaned Gulliver through the closed door. "It's six o'clock so I might as well get up." Tails went back to sleep but everyone else stayed awake as Gulliver and Parlington walked out of the back room. Gulliver put two empty bottles in the nearest bin. He stroked Tails' back on the way past. As soon as Gulliver opened the main door, everyone saw Robotnik, cooked black and a skeleton of an umbrella in his hand. The black was already washing off in the rain. "That is the dumbest thing you can possibly do in a storm Robotnik. Raincoat, no umbrella." Gulliver did a few gestures and the umbrella fixed itself. The black vanished completely. Gulliver then put the umbrella inside. He looked out and saw that there was a caravan sitting in the middle with the name 'egg van' painted on the sides. Gulliver snickered before walking out. Robotnik walked inside and noticed where everyone was sleeping.  
"Where's Tails?" asked Robotnik.  
"He's down here," whispered Sonic. "Just leave him." Robotnik bent down and looked. Tails' face was almost completely buried in the pillow in the basket and the way his Tails were wrapped around him exposed his back. He mustn't have been cold this time. Robotnik stroked Tails' back for a few seconds. He jumped when Tails lifted his head up and opened his eyes.  
"I was expecting Gulliver," said Tails, surprise evident in his tone. He shrugged before lying back down.  
"Has he developed fatigue or something?" asked Robotnik.  
"No," replied Tails. His voice was muffled by the pillow slightly. "This basket has a comfy cushion in it. That's why I like sleeping in here."  
"I just let him sleep," said Gulliver. "He slept for seven hours straight the other day. That was daytime alone." Gulliver had just come back in. Robotnik walked out and looked. Gulliver had managed to move the entire caravan without the others noticing.  
"How did you do that?" asked Robotnik. "There was no noise and no movement." Gulliver just smiled before walking up to the truck. He waved a hand at it and the blue mist disappeared.  
"Do you think you could bring Tails here in the basket without disturbing him too much?" asked Gulliver.  
"I can try," said Robotnik. He walked back into the caravan and noticed something. He dried out instantly every time he walked in and the mud would fall off the bottom of his shoes. Robotnik bent down and picked up the basket.

"What are you doing?" asked Sonic.  
"Taking Tails to Gulliver," said Robotnik. Robotnik stopped at the door. "If this movement doesn't disturb him, the rain certainly will." Robotnik walked out the door and headed towards Gulliver. Gulliver opened the second to front door of the truck. There were four doors in total. Two on either side. Robotnik placed the basket on the seat. Tails was still asleep and surprisingly, he wasn't wet at all. "What's with the doors?"  
"Enhancements keep muck and mud out," said Gulliver. "Parlington will be sitting here to keep the basket from falling down. Sonic!" The others were right behind Robotnik. The seats were paired and a space was in between the pairs. The truck wasn't a truck but rather a bus with the engine in the middle. The front had the steering wheel and driver seat in the middle to drive on both sides of the road. That's where the first doors were and the last ones were in the middle. Sonic sat in the chair opposite Tails. Predictably, Amy sat next to him. Knuckles sat behind them. Parlington sat exactly where Gulliver said he was going to. Robotnik went to get inside his egg van but Gulliver stopped him. "Sorry, you'll have to ride in the bus with everyone else. It's rules and regulations set all over the world. If you are just getting something, that's fine." Gulliver walked into the front door of the bus and sat in the driver seat. Robotnik walked onto the bus and sat behind Tails and Parlington. Sonic checked the time. It said 6:59 AM. All the clowns suddenly came out of the caravans and boarded the bus. Once everyone was on-board Gulliver turned the ignition key. The bus roared into life. Tails suddenly sat up.  
"Judging by how much you slept lately, one would think you were sick," said Parlington.  
"I had nothing else to do," said Tails.  
"You could have come into the tent and learned a few tricks," said Parlington. "Ah well. You'd better find something." Gulliver suddenly got off the driver seat and walked out of the bus. He walked over to the caravans and raised his hands. The light distorted briefly and Gulliver sprinted back on-board the bus. He flicked a switch making the doors close. Gulliver grabbed the gear lever and put his foot on the clutch. He moved the lever to 1st gear and then put his foot on the accelerator. The roar of the engine was increased in pitch. Gulliver lifted is left foot off the clutch and the bus began moving forward. The bus swung left and headed towards the large grass area. As expected, the caravans held the bus back. Gulliver could barely be seen up the front. Tails looked out the window.  
"We're about to pass Cream's house," said Tails. Sonic and Amy looked out the window as well. Surely enough, they did go past their house. The bus wasn't going very fast (yet) as they were on grass. It bounced over the bumps. Soon, they approached a gravel road. The bus began picking up speed as the road became smooth. Gulliver changed gears at last, sending the bus forward even faster. Tails would easily outrun the bus at the current speed though. Soon gravel was replaced by asphalt and Gulliver changed to third and then fourth gears. The bus really picked up speed now. Despite the trailers, the bus was still able to get up to speed.

"How powerful is this bus?" asked Tails.  
"It's capable of towing two tanks at once," answered Parlington. "It's all-wheel drive." The bus took a curve before merging into a six-lane highway. Gulliver geared up again.  
"Does it get much faster than this?" asked Tails  
"Not unless Gulliver disables the LSL," replied Parlington. "The LSL is the Legal Speed Limiter. It's to stop him speeding on these roads." After a while, Tails lied back down in the basket again.  
"Is food allowed?" asked Tails. "I'm getting a bit hungry here." Parlington withdrew a fruit bar from his pocket and opened it. It was full of sugar but was better than nothing. Tails ate it up gratefully. Tails closed his eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep.  
"He has slept a lot," said Sonic. "He normally would work on the X-tornado or something."  
"Well, the cushions Gulliver put in the basket are so soft and comfortable for him, he doesn't want to get off them," said Parlington. After an hour, almost everyone on the bus had fallen asleep. The bus continued on. A while later, the sound of a beeping horn woke everyone up. Sonic looked out the window.  
"We're at MacDonald's," stated Sonic.  
"It's for lunch," said Parlington. Tails still looked asleep so Parlington began tickling him.  
"Hey!" giggled Tails. He jumped out of the basket and onto the floor of the bus.  
"That worked," said Parlington. He stood up and walked over to the door on the right side. It had already been opened.  
"Unfortunately, the workers here are all Germans," said Gulliver, stepping in front of them. "You'll need to make the orders to me and I'll translate them for the Germans."

In the MacDonald's place, Gulliver found Vanilla, Cream, Martemus and Jathas sitting at the table on the far back.  
"Excuse me," said Gulliver to everyone else. He walked up to the group. "What are you all doing way up here?"  
"Jathas and Martemus brought us here when we wanted to know what MacDonald's was," replied Vanilla. "Martemus and Jathas had to do the orders because we couldn't understand what the people behind the counter were saying."  
"That's because they are German," explained Gulliver. "Didn't Martemus tell you that?"  
"Martemus, sind Ihre Aufträge bereit," said one of the MacDonald's workers behind the counter. Martemus did a few hand gestures and the tray that was the orders floated over and landed on the table. Jathas did the same thing but at the straws, bringing four over.  
"Danke," said Martemus.  
"Nichts zu danken," replied the worker. Gulliver walked up to the counter after being passed a piece of paper.  
"Hallo," said Gulliver in a fluent German accent (despite him being Scottish). "Könnte ich ein großer Big-Mac-Mahlzeit, drei mittel Quartal Pfünder Mahlzeiten und eine große Mahlzeit Quartal Pfünder bitte."  
"Das ist vierzig Dollar," said the MacDonald's worker. Gulliver withdrew a bank card labelled 'Währungswandelmastercard'. He scanned it and pressed in a few numbers. He along with the others in the group sat at the tables at the back. The rest of the clowns had no trouble with translation because they were all German.  
"Why don't the workers here know how to speak English?" asked Sonic. "Hardly anyone knows how to speak German."  
"This is a German village," said Gulliver. "Germans settled here so the Americans didn't want to worry about language barriers."  
"Well how long will it be until we get to our next place for the circus?" asked Tails.  
"It'll be three o'clock in the afternoon," replied Gulliver. "And our lunch is ready. These Germans are efficient. It's one of the reasons I don't mind having them as the only workers around. Danke!" Gulliver did hand gestures and almost in a split second, the food was in front of them. The large meal order had been made by Robotnik. Everyone ate in silence.

After about half an hour, everyone was back on the bus and moving onward on the highway. Tails had lied down again in his basket.  
"Hey Tails," said Sonic. "How soft is that cushion?" Tails sat up.  
"Well, I sink in a third of the way," replied Tails. "It's really comfortable in this." Sonic put his hand in the basket and pushed down on the cushion. It didn't take much effort.  
"That's what I call a bed basket," said Sonic. "No wonder you like sleeping in that."  
"That's why I put Tails in that basket," explained Gulliver from the driver seat. "I knew he would like it without asking him; it's the same way I predict what people are going to do without knowing them: I read their mind."  
"I was asleep," said Tails.  
"No you weren't," retorted Gulliver. "You were almost asleep by the time you were in the basket. David was careful not to drop any blood into the basket until I was able to heal up the gash. Looks like when you were ambushed, they cursed it onto you. Wolves can't make gashes."  
"I thought they were just wolves," said Tails.  
"They're very dangerous wolves," replied Gulliver. After a while, everyone fell asleep in the bus again until horn blasts woke them up again. The bus had just been stopped in a grassy area with a road right in front of it. Gulliver drove the bus around in a small circle until all the caravans were in the circular arrangement they started in. Gulliver opened the front door, got out and walked to the back of the bus. He detached the caravans before moving the bus. He put it behind where the tent would go.  
"Everybody out," said Gulliver, turning the engine off. Sonic and Tails were the first off the bus. The place they were was completely foreign.  
"The circus is moved around in loops," said Gulliver. "We're on Earth for a few months, then here, then back again." Sonic noticed Tails' digitaliser was buzzing.  
"Tails," said Sonic. "I think someone's ringing you." Tails pushed a button and Cream showed up on a screen.  
"Hello Cream," greeted Tails.

"How far away are you?" asked Cream. "I don't see you anywhere on the map."  
"I have no idea," replied Tails. "I slept most of the way."  
"I hope we'll see each other again soon," said Cream.  
"All you need to do is get into the phone," said Gulliver. "Once there, ring Parlington Circus and a button will appear to take you there. To get back, just go to your map."  
"It's really that easy?" asked Vanilla's voice. Vanilla couldn't be seen but everyone knew she was there with Cream.  
"Yes it is," replied Tails. "These things could be worth millions but we got them for less than a hundred dollars each. Bye Cream and Vanilla,"  
"Bye," said both voices on the other end as the screen faded away.  
"Well, that was nice," said Tails. "Just the nuisance of setting up the tent again."  
"You lot just look around this area," said Gulliver. "AHH! On second thought, stay close." The last sentence Gulliver said was in a soft voice. Tails turned around and spotted three wolves. Two of which were Fergus and Dale. One was much larger and was evidently the dad. There were also several cops walking around. They had their eyes on the group.  
"They have the tendency to get jealous," whispered Parlington. "Put the shield up."  
"I hate having to use it but I guess I have no choice." Gulliver walked forward away from the group and jumped on top of one of the caravans. He raised his hands up and the light around where the bus was and all around the caravans began to distort in wavy lines. After a moment, the distortion stopped. Gulliver hopped off the caravan and landed on the ground clumsily. He swayed slightly and Parlington quickly rushed over in case he collapsed. Gulliver headed into his caravan and came back out with a handful of jelly beans.  
"You over did the shield a bit this time," said Parlington after Gulliver had eaten the jelly beans. "You have to be careful."  
"My problem is fatigue," replied Gulliver. "I've been driving for almost eight hours in total today. I really need to get in contact with the supermarket. I'll do that later. He did some more hand gestures and the storage van opened up. Everything flew out of it at once. The tent set itself up and all the furniture floated inside it. Soon, it was all done. Gulliver walked up to the tent and did one more hand gesture. Nothing seemed to happen at first but after a moment, the tent began turning into a brick building with identical colours.

"PL Law and regulations expects circus groups to use solid buildings as the weather gets wild," said Gulliver. The vans began to change as well. They turned into one large building. On the inside though, they were identical to their original form.  
"Why didn't you do this before?" asked Tails.  
"There was no need," replied Gulliver. He looked on the verge of fainting now. He walked back into what used to be his caravan. It was now just a cabin. He came out with more jelly beans. "If you wish to explore the area, we should all stay together. Parlington can hold the fort here but with those cops and wolves around, I don't trust this neighbourhood."

* * *

**Where are they now? Gulliver's talked Robotnik into joining the circus. Has he had a change of heart or is he plotting something? Why are there cops swarming around? All will be answered in the next chapter. ****Please review****. You may optionally suggest ideas to go into this story.**


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